belittling
adjective
[ bɪˈlɪt(ə)lɪŋ ]
• dismissive of the importance of a person or thing.
• "his cruel, belittling remarks"
belittle
verb
• dismiss (someone or something) as unimportant.
• "she belittled Amy's riding skills whenever she could"
Similar:
disparage,
denigrate,
run down,
deprecate,
depreciate,
downgrade,
play down,
trivialize,
minimize,
make light of,
treat lightly,
undervalue,
underrate,
underestimate,
scoff at,
sneer at,
laugh at,
laugh off,
mock,
ridicule,
deride,
dismiss,
scorn,
pour scorn on,
cast aspersions on,
discredit,
vilify,
defame,
decry,
criticize,
condemn,
censure,
abuse,
malign,
revile,
slur,
do down,
do a hatchet job on,
take to pieces,
pull apart,
pick holes in,
drag through the mud,
have a go at,
hit out at,
knock,
slam,
pan,
bash,
bad-mouth,
pooh-pooh,
look down one's nose at,
rubbish,
slate,
slag off,
hold cheap,
asperse,
derogate,
misprize,
minify,
Origin:
late 18th century: from be- + little; a coinage of Thomas Jefferson originally meaning ‘diminish in size, make small’.
